Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics Games were held from 23 July to 8 August and 24 August to 5 September 2021 respectively, after its one-year postponement due to COVID-19. Despite the challenges faced by the participants due to the pandemic, all Olympians and Paralympians showed excellent performances in Tokyo. I would like to extend my gratitude for all the efforts and supports given by the athletes, coaches, staff, and everyone involved in the Games.
At the Tokyo Games, athletes and teams particularly from the Association of Sports Institutes in Asia (ASIA) member countries/regions accomplished great achievements. A total of 524 medals (OG=189, PG=335) were won by ASIA member countries/regions, making up 80.5% (OG = 78.4%, PG=81.7%) of 651 medals (OG = 241, PG = 410) won by Asian countries.
The followings are some of the highlights:
At the Olympic Games,
- Japan, Hong Kong (China), Chinese Taipei, Qatar, Philippines, and India achieved their highest medal count.
- Qatar and Philippines won their first-ever gold medal.
- Chinese Taipei won a gold medal in badminton and India won a gold medal in athletics for the first time.
At the Paralympic Games,
- India achieved their highest medal count.
- Sri Lanka won their first-ever gold medal.
- India had its first female Paralympic gold medalist who set a new Paralympic Games Record, which is
equal to the current World Record.
- A Singaporean female swimmer won two gold medals in two Paralympics in a row.
Congratulations to all, and ASIA is proud of our member organizations (sport centers/institutes) who have worked hard with great commitment in the development of high performance sport and who have supported the athletes and teams in their countries/regions.
ASIA, established in 2015, is the only connecting platform with the aim of developing high performance sport to support the sporting ambitions of members in the Asian region. Currently, it consists of 19 high performance-related organizations from 16 countries/regions in Asia. Member organizations actively engaged each other, building strong collaboration
through various opportunities (e.g., exchange knowledge and expertise – annual congress, virtual meetings & seminars, visits etc.).
ASIA would like to continue to accelerate innovative initiatives to unite us in collaboration and solidarity, hoping to contribute to the development of high performance sport in Asia. We hope to see more proactive participation and engagement from all members in ASIA, and we always welcome new members and partners who share our vision and purpose to join us. Let’s connect and work together in this challenging but exciting journey!